Kano State in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have procured 2,948 cartons of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) worth N1billion to feed 17,000 severely malnourished children in the state.
Speaking during the official distribution of the items at the primary healthcare centre in Takai Local Government Area, the Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Farah, said about 11 million children or one in every three children under five years of age in Nigeria are experiencing severe child food poverty.
Farah, who was represented by the field’s office Health Manager, Dr. Serekeberehan Deres, said about 50 percent of that number are more likely to experience wasting or a life-threatening form of malnutrition.
He also noted that in Kano State, 51.9 percent (one out of two) of children are experiencing similar threat with stunted growth and over 10 percent likely to be too thin for their height.
He described child poverty as children’s inability to access and consume a nutritious and diverse diet in early childhood – a sensitive period of high nutritional requirements for the physical growth and brain development of a child.
Farah noted that in an effort aimed at improving the nutrition situation across the country, UNICEF and development partners have made huge investment through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) to allow governments to double their investment in essential nutrition commodities.
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“UNICEF and its partners match government financing of essential nutrition commodities in a ratio of 1:1, allowing governments to double their investment in essential nutrition commodities to accelerate the scale-up of policies, programmes for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of malnutrition,” he stated.
The UNICEF officer, however, commended the state government for being the first state in Nigeria with the highest singular contribution of N500 million release to the CNF to match with an additional N500 million from his organisation.
Governor Abba Yusuf, reiterated the state government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of its citizens, particularly children.
He said the state is reactivating comprehensive management of acute malnutrition centers across all the 44 local government areas to address the critical health challenge.
While thanking UNICEF for their support and commitment to children especially the vulnerable, he urged the state Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to ensure the food items reached the targeted children.